


Devotion

by TheRoarOfAtlas



Category: Professional Wrestling, World Wrestling Entertainment
Genre: Alternate Universe - Gods & Goddesses, Alternate Universe - Supernatural Elements, Blood and Violence, Boy I love the woods, Businessmen, Camping, Character Death, F/M, Gratuitous Smut, I wanted Knight!Drew so badly, Past Lives, Terrible accents, any chance I get to wax poetic about the family plaid I will one hundred percent take it, poorly written historical places, so he's in there too
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-02-14
Updated: 2020-02-14
Packaged: 2021-02-28 04:40:14
Rating: Explicit
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence, Major Character Death
Chapters: 1
Words: 10,705
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/22719298
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/TheRoarOfAtlas/pseuds/TheRoarOfAtlas
Summary: Heard through the grapevine that my boy Drew might have done the Lord’s work recently. In honor of that momentous occasion, I dusted off what was originally meant to be part of hardcorewwetrash on Tumblr's Summer Writing Challenge (because, you see, I am a terrible person and never managed to get my act together for that, I KNOW YOU’RE SHOCKED). So now for Valentine’s Day you get old gods, boardroom meetings, wilderness excursions and past life reminiscing. Basically, my brand![x-posted to Tumblr]Enjoy!
Relationships: Drew McIntyre/Original Female Character(s)
Comments: 3
Kudos: 17





	Devotion

**Author's Note:**

> [!TRIGGER WARNING!: For mild ’breeding kink’ and graphic violence. Stay safe!]
> 
> [!WARNING!: Rife with historical inaccuracies. This also may be considered religiously offensive, for which I apologize and advise you to proceed with caution.]

The devotion was what caught his attention in the beginning.

  
  


Truly, the fact that he had solidified on 'he' in the first place spoke volumes. _Take one of the faithful_ . Always prodding at him, making him toss his head in dismissive annoyance. _Take one of the faithful_. 

  
  


The incense was lit in the chapel for yet another vigil, another plea. He tasted iron when he appeared, the atmosphere thick and stifling with the whine of the fair-weather faithful hoping for their fortunes to improve. Godhood was _barely_ above a burden and the Higher in the pantheon well knew his grievances. 

  
  


He was Actaeon, ruler of forests and wilderness, his domain stretching from proud mountain peaks to secret moors that man had yet to tread. It fell on him often to mediate in this modern age, where the incense was few and far and boardroom meetings broke untold hours. Greedy men overreached again and again, hand over fist in a mad dash to their own demise.

  
  


He had settled on the name Drew McIntyre, and through it all Drew sat. Certainly, he had traded the gilded pauldrons and breastplate for a razor sharp suit, but his story was lauded as a cautionary tale and little about him looked tamed despite that. His piercing blue eyes still glowed when his irritation reached a boiling point, his mouth set in a grim line that was about as hospitable as a kodiak's roar.

  
  


_I will give you_ _**nothing** _ , said those cold eyes, _and it will be far more than you deserve_. 

  
  


Hunter, the man who had once been known as Hades, was at the head of most conference tables. Always clad in some kind of glamour that hid his true form, flanked by his loyal Persephone Stephanie and Cerberus split into three bodies. 

  
  


Back and forth they went, Actaeon halting progress and Hades or Zeus or Dionysus or _whoever_ demanding more from him. More land, more resources, _more more more_. Drew took sadistic pleasure in entangling the god-moguls and their flunkies in red tape, dangling fertile rainforests in front of their noses only to snatch them away due to easily-overlooked technicalities.

  
  


After the Fyre festival fiasco at least Dionysus (calling himself Dolph these past few centuries, who knew what the next would hold) was humbled, twiddling his thumbs and staying relatively quiet during meetings. Drew got the feeling that it boded ill though, since it meant that the reveler was actually _listening_. Possibly. Cerberus, or rather, the three men that Cerberus had become, always confiscated all cell phones before their meetings commenced, so Dolph (and anyone else for that matter) had no distractions.

  
  


Whenever Zeus was involved, the shouting matches kicked off quickly. At Hunter's behest he grudgingly went by the name Vince, though even after all the years he still sometimes failed to respond to it. He was not nearly as powerful as he once was, of course, no one _believed_ like they used to, and he clung to the old ways while Hunter struggled to reason with him. All the eldest god wanted to do since he and Hera had become estranged was lift weights and watch professional wrestling; it was a miracle that he even _made_ appearances anymore. 

  
  


…

  
  


The ruler of Hell always put Drew up at the same damn hotel chain every time he managed to drag the belligerent patron into their meetings. Hunter didn't lack devotion. His contract with old man Vince involved such incredibly far-flung stipulations that for all intents and purposes, every exchange of goods in human hands netted him _some_ percentage of adoration. Hades operated by the philosophy that _'absolute power corrupts absolutely, but slightly_ _ **less**_ _than absolute couldn't hurt, could it?_ ' 

  
  


The chain of hotels was one of those oxymoronic minimalist-yet-decadent types, decorated sparsely with furniture that boasted too many sharp edges. Drew always felt uncomfortable and he was certain that was the intention. Hades was all about subtle threats. 

  
  


_You're on my turf, wild god. Better remember that._

  
  


Drew was on a first-name basis with most of the concierge staff in every location he frequented, accepting his room key with a roll of his eyes and some tired comment about how he was back in town for business. 

  
  


Running into an animal _not_ in the lobby was...unprecedented. 

  
  


He stared down at the cat. The cat stared back up at him, licking her chops while she lounged in the middle of the hallway. Her muzzle was speckled with the remains of whatever she had eaten last and Drew immediately extended a hand for inspection. 

  
  


He wasn't as well-respected amongst the more domestic animals and the cat took her sweet time meandering towards his fingers. Once she reached them though, she was all purrs and apologies. _Lost_ , she hummed, her whiskers tickling his arm. _Help me?_

  
  


"Where's your keeper, little miss?" Drew asked in a gentle voice that most humans hadn't had the privilege of hearing. 

  
  


The cat offered him a look that was a shrug, shaking her body to jangle the tag on her harness pointedly. 

  
  


Drew chuckled, picking her up and cradling her in the crook of one arm. "We will do our best then, won't we?"

  
  


…

  
  


They didn't wait in the lobby for very long. Fifteen minutes maybe, Drew sprawled indolently in a chair that wasn't quite large enough for him. The cat purred away in his lap, happily kneading and getting white needle-like hairs all over his expensive suit pants. Not that Drew cared, he'd sooner rip the whole damn suit off and saunter back to the wilds where he belonged. 

  
  


_Patience, Actaeon_ , he reminded himself with a heavy sigh. _A few more days in this brimstone nightmare_.

  
  


One of Aphrodite's own appeared before him looking attractively distraught and his breath hitched, sending the large man into an embarrassing coughing fit. The woman gestured at the cat in his lap and Drew hurried to stand, floundering with the slumbering feline. "Ah, I had no idea that-" He began, somewhat confused that she didn't seem to recognize him.

  
  


"Thank you so much for finding her!" The woman said fervently, grasping his hand.

  
  


Drew received no supernatural warmth from her touch, just mortal worship so heartfelt it hit him square in the chest. She _wasn't_ one of Aphrodite's? How could someone so beautiful simply... _exist?_ Surely, there must be some mistake. What was this feeling of deja vu that threatened to overwhelm him?

  
  


"She was no trouble." Drew assured, "Came right up to me when I got out of the elevator. I'm Drew, by the way. Drew McIntyre." He raised an eyebrow pointedly. 

  
  


No realization of his true identity seemed to be forthcoming, the vision in front of him introducing herself in turn as Lyssa. The name alone sent another jolt through him, much to his chagrin. Her smile was like the sun and Drew wondered if she was possibly one of Apollo's creations. Apollo had no real touch for beauty, though. Hephaestus? 

  
  


"Can I get you a drink or something? I'm only in town for a conference, so I'm a little booked as far as breakfast would go." She sounded self-conscious, fidgeting with the cat's fur instead of making eye contact. 

  
  


"How about dinner?" Drew asked, startling himself with the ease of his own suggestion. "Maybe tomorrow night, depending on when you fly out of here?"

  
  


He needed to talk to Aphrodite. _Immediately._

  
  


…

  
  


Alicia took one look at him and tried to shut the door in his face. Drew barely caught the edge with his hand, giving her a smile that bordered on a sneer. "You've improved your craft, love." His tone was half impressed, half dangerous. "Setting one of your beauties on me? One who doesn't even know who I am?"

  
  


"You've got some real nerve coming here at this hour." Aphrodite muttered, the flawless woman clutching at her silk bathrobe. 

  
  


"It is _noon_ , woman."

  
  


"Never mind that, what the hell are you talking about?"

  
  


Drew shoved his phone in her face, startled when she immediately looked (of all things) _jealous_. "I'm _talking_ about this one. She's got a cat. And she's been crafted by you."

  
  


"She's not one of mine. Hera above, I _wish_ I could take credit for that." The goddess replied crossly. "As far as I can tell she's the real deal." Drew was speechless and Alicia seemed to realize, a smirk turning her mouth up at the edges. "You're infatuated, aren't you?"

  
  


" _No_." Drew said firmly. 

  
  


"Mm, you're really going to lie to _me_ about matters of the heart?" Aphrodite crooned. "It's been millennia since your little incident with Artemis. Still sensitive? I would have thought you'd forget."

  
  


"I was torn apart by my own dogs. _Sensitive_ doesn't begin to cover it." Drew fidgeted with his phone, closing out the Instagram page. "I dinnae what to do." He admitted.

  
  


"Take her out, knock her up, tell her the truth or don't, and welcome another litter of demigods into the human world." Alicia said in a deadpan tone. "You really are _so_ boring sometimes. It's no wonder you're the one who always gets your memory stripped, you're practically _mortal_ levels of boring."

  
  


"I…" Drew hesitated.

  
  


Aphrodite softened, her sharp contours glowing ever so slightly in the dim hallway lighting. "You deserve adoration just like the rest of us, Actaeon. I know you've basically appointed yourself as nature's protector and as such have decided to distance yourself from humanity's praise, but humans _need_ gods like you. Ones who don't play games with them." She said gently.

  
  


"If I do this, she...Aphrodite, mortals are _so_ …"

  
  


"I know, they are short-lived. It's better to take your happiness where you can find it though. Don't live a lie, Drew." Alicia tapped her fingers to her lips and then pressed the kiss to his cheek. "For luck and nothing more. I know you wouldn't want my help anyways." Her laughter was a merry sound, bright even in its falsehood. 

  
  


…

  
  


_It's better to take your happiness where you can find it_.

  
  


The goddess of love's words haunted Drew while he prepared for this little...appointment with Lyssa. 

  
  


_Don't live a lie_.

  
  


Was that what he was doing by shutting everything out? The whole debacle with Artemis, while indeed _millennia_ past, still turned his stomach. His own fine hunting dogs tearing him apart would never leave his long memory, regardless of how many times Zeus humbled him and cast him to Earth with no recollection of who he was. _Was_ he hiding? Was he really so afraid that something like that would happen again? He had traded his mutts in with his pauldrons, but he still occasionally felt echoes of their presence. As though he could turn around at any second and see them all eagerly awaiting his orders.

  
  


Drew huffed at himself, squaring his shoulders while he retied his tie and struggled with his top button. He wondered vaguely whether it would still be so difficult if he had picked a more feminine-presenting form as opposed to masculine, though he liked the form he had settled upon. Perhaps a bit too much. The broadness of his shoulders could be a little...difficult to fit into the dress shirts he was made to wear, so the battle of buttons was a familiar one. But that same broadness emphasized his physique and catered to his not-insubstantial pride. He had lasted this long, and what was the point of even _having_ a form if you weren't content with how it appeared?

  
  


His reflection studied him from the mirror, blue eyes clouded with rumination on his past. His neck strained at the highest button with every swallow and so finally Drew sighed and left the offending button undone, carefully slipping his tie out of his collar after a moment of thought. Better to seem casual than tightly-laced. 

  
  


…

  
  


"So, to business, if this is something you want to pursue." Lyssa folded her hands. "I'm not looking for anything serious at the moment. If you're married or romantically involved, I'm not interested. I can't afford to be pulled into a pissing match, not with my career at stake. That clear enough?"

  
  


"Crystal." Drew chuckled, appreciating her plain speech. "Games like that don't yield fruitful results. I'd rather be trusted." 

  
  


"Well my cat trusted you, so that's a step in the right direction." She smiled at him and Drew nearly choked on his drink. "You already have my number and I have yours from the cat debacle. What's your schedule look like?"

  
  


"I am free this evening, if you have the time. When does your flight leave tomorrow?"

  
  


"It's an eleven o'clock. I'm already packed, so I guess tonight will work fine." Lyssa sounded for all the world like she was planning a meeting. 

  
  


"Come with me?" Drew requested, rising from the table and offering his arm. She took it without hesitation or shyness, strolling to the elevator with him. "I understand the anonymity of this setup may be what you find most appealing. Rest assured, you will hear no questions from me unless you wish them asked." Drew deliberately kept his tone light. 

  
  


"I appreciate that." 

  
  


His own rising apprehension aside, Drew did his best to relax. It would do him no good to display the tension he felt. It was better to keep this as businesslike as possible, for his own comfort as well as hers. If they continued on in this manner, maybe he would learn why he felt like she was so _damned_ familiar.

  
  


...

  
  


It was always attached somehow. He had never really noticed it before Lyssa, but now it gnawed at him. He wondered whether this hunger was why Aphrodite had been so glib about him spawning a litter. Did she know? Did she put the fire there to begin with? 

  
  


He knew he was being irrational. Aphrodite couldn't come _close_ to his control, time beyond time having passed since the carefree days of his youth. Actaeon had failed, but Drew McIntyre would not. This arrangement didn't have to sour with reproductive ruminations. It didn't _have_ to, but…

  
  


There was no harm in fantasizing about it. The desire to take Lyssa's unwitting worship and make it something... _real_.

  
  


She had, of course, been very up front with him. She was on medication, he would use protection, it was all standard procedure as they were both responsible adults. There was a relatively low risk involved and honestly Drew wasn't particularly keen on _raising_ a brood in the first place, just being involved in the creative process. The notion excited him much more than it should have: the idea of coupling with her, _breeding_ even, until she was overflowing. Being a god, it was far from an impossible task. Drew wasn't ashamed to admit he could behave more like an animal than a man, this fallible flesh doing him in time and again. At least she could keep up with him when it came to sexual appetite.

  
  


She would text him occasionally even if they hadn't planned on meeting up. Hell, even if they weren't in the same _state_. Just little snippets or questions about his day, maybe a picture of her cat. Drew found himself slipping into the habit of checking his phone regularly, coming to learn that she frequently went hiking when she wasn't involved in business. She claimed to love the woods more than anyone and the God of the Forests had to suppress a roaring laugh at her declaration.

  
  


Not even Zeus himself could have rid Drew of his grin when Lyssa casually mentioned that she wouldn't mind some company on her next camping trip. He had been having a terrible day, but that message lifted his spirits instantaneously. He pondered at that for a split second, somewhat confused. Since when had he become so attached?

  
  


"Is that a _smile?_ " Dionysus queried from across the boardroom, his eyes wide over the Greek salad he had ordered for the lunch break. "It _is!_ What happened to brighten _you_ up, Doomsday?" Dolph practically bounced around the table to plant himself in the currently-unoccupied seat beside Drew, batting his eyelashes at the large man. "Aw c'mon, you were so chipper a second ago!" The blond whined.

  
  


"I have a migrating headache." Drew said dryly. "It comes and goes. Seems t' increase whenever you're around." 

  
  


The reveler's response was an ear-to-ear grin and he leaned forward to rest his chin in his hand. "Do tell." He purred. Roman (the largest portion of Cerberus) looked up curiously, as if he sensed the shift in the atmosphere of the room.

  
  


"No." Drew snapped, already inches from wringing Dionysus' neck. "Whatever I'm pleased about has nothing to do with ye an' yours. Dinnae try my patience." 

  
  


"Psh, ever since Artemis you've been so-" Dolph didn't even get to finish his sentence before Drew was towering over him. 

  
  


" _Actaeon_." Hades' glare was smouldering at the edges. "Not in the conference room. You know the rules."

  
  


"Easy now, boys." Vince chimed in, clapping his son in law on the shoulder. "We don't want anything getting out of hand, do we?" Outside, the clear sky rumbled threateningly. 

  
  


Hunter sighed in annoyance. "Old man, you know you can't do that shit anymore. It upsets their meteorologists."

  
  


"I am _Zeus!_ Why the hell should I give a crap about their silly weather men?"

  
  


" _Enough_ . And _you_ , Actaeon-"

  
  


"Dionysus never takes me up on my offers." Drew's teeth were bared in an infuriated grin. To his right, Alicia clicked her tongue as if to voice her disapproval.

  
  


"Whoa, whoa! I'm more of a lover anyhow, you know that!" Dolph looked wildly uncomfortable, like he had just realized that _maybe_ pissing off a person who stood head and shoulders above him was a bad idea. 

  
  


Actaeon exhaled hard, forcing himself to take a step back from the situation. "Later." He said finally, entertained by how Dolph's face paled beneath his fake tan. 

  
  


…

  
  


"I needed this more than words can express." Drew breathed, his hands carding through her hair in an oddly affectionate way. Well, oddly affectionate when he considered the position they were in. Lyssa's nose pressed to his pelvis, throat flexing around his cock, every swallow making Drew grunt or snarl. "You are _too_ good at this." 

  
  


He knew he had to keep his voice down. They might have parked the rental a good distance away from other vehicles, but it would do them no good if a passerby noticed her face in his lap. Drew half-groaned at the idea of being interrupted, feeling her tongue bathing the base of his cock as best as she could. 

  
  


"I'm close Lys, can I…" He trailed off, gritting his teeth when she pulled off his cock and started stroking his shaft with her hand. She rested the engorged head of his dick on her tongue, maintaining eye contact as she did. Drew had to remove his hands from her hair, one gripping his thigh and the other clenched into a fist so tight his knuckles ached. "I'm coming, love, I-" He choked his words off as best as he could, trying to stay silent. 

  
  


Drew was not a particularly _quiet_ individual, especially during lascivious activities. He liked to think it was part of his charm, the blunt and brazen honesty of his own failable flesh. Lyssa certainly seemed to appreciate it, if the way she squeezed his thigh while she swallowed down his release was any indication. 

  
  


He went boneless in the driver's seat, panting a little. She rested her cheek on his thigh, smiling up at him in a manner that was wholly self-satisfied. Drew chuckled, running his fingers through her hair one more time. "How is it possible to enjoy you as much as I do?"

  
  


"You're just easy to please." Lyssa teased, giving him a soft bite on the inside of his thigh before beginning to straighten herself out. 

  
  


Drew followed suit and then stepped out of the small car, stretching his arms overhead with a drawn out hum. A deep inhale filled his lungs with the fresh forest air and he sighed happily. _Nothing better than that smell_. 

  
  


Her forehead bumped between his shoulder blades and she stayed there for a good minute, her arms around his waist. Drew felt something stir in his body, satisfaction, _contentment_ and he cleared his throat, resting his hands over her own on his stomach. "Thank ye for invitin' me. I promise it'll be worth it." He murmured. 

  
  


"Mm, I'll hold you to that." 

  
  


After collecting their backpacks from the trunk, the two of them set out down one of the many trails. Not that Drew particularly _needed_ a trail, but he knew that bushwhacking on their first outing into his domain might set her on edge. 

  
  


He let her lead the way and they made quiet conversation as they hiked, Drew keeping an ear out all the while for any nearby beasts. She seemed entranced at the way the birds drew close to them, a hummingbird boldly zipping back and forth in front of her nose at one point. 

  
  


Drew laughed at the obvious plea for attention, extending a finger to the tiny creature. "Feisty today, aren't we?" He asked softly once it had landed. "You eat well enough with all the feeders around." 

  
  


The bird voiced its grievances with hummingbird feeders, much to Acaeteon's amusement. In the meantime his hiking companion shrugged out of her backpack and shuffled closer, her eyes fixated on the complaining bundle of feathers. "How did you do that?" She whispered.

  
  


Drew tilted his head. "They come to me." He replied nonchalantly. "This one wants me to grow him more red flowers. I am no miracle worker, little one."

  
  


"Oh sure, yeah. He's talking to you. I'll bet." Lyssa gave him a smirk. 

  
  


"How else do you think I got your cat back to you so simply?" Drew asked, raising an eyebrow. "She is a headstrong beast."

  
  


"Well so am I, but here we are."

  
  


"True enough." Drew shooed the bird off and sidled up to embrace her from behind. A teasing finger toyed with the fabric of her t-shirt across her chest, making her laugh quietly and tap his hand away. "Not nearly stubborn enough to resist me." Drew continued, his voice low and gravelly while he pressed close and palmed her breasts. 

  
  


Lyssa gasped, her eyes darting back and forth as if worried that someone might see them in this predicament. " _Drew-_ " Her indignant hiss of his name tapered off into something a little less stern than she probably would have liked. Her nipples woke under his circling assault, pressing hard against Drew's questing thumbs.

  
  


"What's wrong, Lys? You've gone quiet." Drew whispered raggedly, "Did you see something? A beasty, come to devour you whole?" His left hand slunk past the waistband of her hiking shorts, questing blindly downward for what he sought.

  
  


"You're not being _fair_ , you got off in the car." Lyssa protested, her voice cracking slightly. "Don't tease me, Drew-"

  
  


"I'm no tease Lys, I intend t' _deliver_ on any threats I make." Acaeteon mouthed at her ear and reveled in the way that she went pliant against his body. Her worship was sweeter than all the praise of humanity, her trust in him explicit and heady. "With just my fingers, lovin'? The first of many, we'll say." Drew promised.

  
  


"I'd love to see you _try_."

  
  


Drew's strong fingers tweaked one of her nipples at the same time that his other hand found sanctuary in her underwear. "Naughty girl." Lyssa sighed and writhed back into him, blissfully ignoring that they were still very much out in the open. "I love how quickly you change your tune when you want somethin'." Drew chuckled, fingers stroking and then spreading her slick folds open. 

  
  


When Acaeteon took on a task he deemed important, he poured himself into it wholeheartedly. Not many things outside of his interactions with Lyssa really _warranted_ that level of commitment. 

  
  


"Lys." He breathed while she choked on her breath and shuddered through an orgasm. "You are _not_ making this easy on me."

  
  


"I asked you to come with me for a _reason_ , Drew." She panted when she could talk again, whimpering quietly after he withdrew his fingers and licked them clean.

  
  


Drew kissed her fiercely, tongue licking into her mouth to give her a taste of herself. "And what reason might that be?" He asked once they had parted again.

  
  


Lyssa stared up at him in a daze for a good few seconds before snapping out of it. "What? Oh! Oh God. Um, later. I'll tell you later. Look, we still have a long way to go!" She floundered, struggling to get back into her pack. Drew rolled his eyes but remained silent, choosing instead to help her put herself to rights and buckle her straps.

  
  


...

  
  


The campsite she had picked was _conspicuously_ secluded, which Drew made a mental note of. Lyssa seemed excessively nervous for someone that Drew had already been intimate with, the young woman getting their tent poles mixed up several times despite her familiarity with said tent. 

  
  


"You seem tense, Lys." Drew teased once she had finally gotten everything squared away. "I hope I didn't wind you up too much."

  
  


"Drew, I…" Lyssa trailed off, sighing. "I want to ask you for something. And I'm sorry if you think it's weird or...like, if I make you uncomfortable. I promise I would never want to make you uncomfortable."

  
  


Drew raised an eyebrow. This sounded more serious than he had anticipated. "Speak your mind, love. Whatever it is, I'm sure I can handle it."

  
  


Lyssa looked so pensive that Drew was legitimately concerned, the smaller woman taking her time to settle into a chair beside the fire pit. They hadn't lit the fire yet as the summer weather was warm even in the evenings, but Drew had made certain to find a small amount of dry firewood for safety's sake. "This is _super_ dumb and if you want we can just forget it." She announced firmly. 

  
  


Drew couldn't help but laugh, doing his best to mask the anxiety gnawing at his gut. "I think I'll be the judge of that, love. What's this turrible question of yours?"

  
  


"I kind of...I mean I've... _look_." She exhaled and glared up at him with a strange ferocity. Drew's pulse quickened at the intensity of her eyes. He felt like he was being appraised, but also, _strangely_ , like he had done this all before. "I've got this... _thing_ that I like."

  
  


"Ye. Bit difficult t' miss, love." Drew grinned and she buried her face in her hands, groaning loudly until he apologized and promised not to make any more jokes about his _thing she liked_. 

  
  


"This is hard to talk about so _please_ , just let me talk." Lyssa said sternly. "This isn't something I've told anyone else and I've never acted on my... _urges_...before." 

  
  


_Urges_. Actaeon's mind raced. Mortals had very _few_ urges that they catered to, what on earth could she be talking about?

  
  


"I've always had this...kind of... _thing_ for. Um. Someone having multiple orgasms. I-In me." Lyssa had actually closed her eyes to say it, her knuckles white with the grip she had on her trekking pole. "Like sloppy, barebacking I guess? Breeding? I dunno. I've seen some stuff and I feel like I'd want to try it out, but I've never met anyone that I trusted like that u-until you of course and I really didn't want to get gangbanged so like it's really cool that you can do multiples, your stamina is _insane-_ " 

  
  


She carried on rambling as what she said rang in his ears. _Breeding_. Drew was upright before he realized, stalking across their campsite with a certain, single-minded intent. "Lys." He said hoarsely, kneeling in between her legs. She kept her eyes closed, like she could ignore him somehow. Her face was all red and Drew _wanted_ to laugh, to ease her worries and make light of this, but he couldn't find the ability. "I will do whatever you need me to, lovin'." He murmured. "If it's breedin' you want, it's breedin' you'll get."

  
  


Lyssa peeked at him. "What, seriously? J-Just like that? You don't think I'm fucked up for wanting something so weird?" Her faith in him was like warm sunlight after winter. 

  
  


"I wish ye'd told me sooner, truthfully." Drew admitted, "could have saved a bit of trouble for the both of us." He took her hand and kissed her knuckles. "How much preparin' do you want?"

  
  


"Pre...Preparing?" 

  
  


"Ye. Do y' want to eat? It'll be a long night. "

  
  


"I-I mean we already ate lunch--" 

  
  


"That we did." She was adorably flustered about this whole thing. "What will you say when you want me to stop, love?"

  
  


"I'll say...um, I'll say." Lyssa glanced around. "Tent?" She suggested.

  
  


"It has to be somethin' you'll remember. If you'll remember that an' use it, absolutely." Lyssa nodded jerkily and Drew exhaled hard, rising to stand once more. "Alright." He muttered, stripping off his shirt. "Up."

  
  


"Up?" Lyssa squeaked.

  
  


"Ye." Drew lifted her from the chair, her legs instinctively wrapping around his hips. The large man buried his face in her neck, littering the sensitive skin with kisses and chuckling as Lyssa squirmed in his arms. Her little gasps spurred him on and he fought with the drawstring of her shorts, settling for lacing his fingers at the small of her back to support her while she struggled to undo them herself. 

  
  


"Drew, you gotta' put me down-" Lyssa began. 

  
  


"This is _takin'_ too long." Drew interrupted, itching to rip the shorts clean off. He sulkily dropped into a crouch, letting her stand so she could actually slide the shorts off and save them from the terrible fate he had planned. "Underwear too, come _on_."

  
  


"So impatient! Guess I should be happy I'm not the only weirdo around." Lyssa teased breathlessly, obliging him with the underwear.

  
  


"Bra. Unless you want it ripped."

  
  


"Don't you _dare_."

  
  


"I will. Get it gone, love."

  
  


Lyssa grumbled, " _fine_ , but I'm leaving my shirt on. Last thing I need is someone coming across us totally naked."

  
  


Drew was relatively certain that he was sliding into an _Old God_ headspace, his mind running wild with the idea of revelling naked in public like Dionysus. In the meantime, Lyssa put her hands on a nearby tree trunk and just looked back at him as if to ask what he was waiting for. Drew growled a little louder than he meant to, the telltale sheen of slick on her inner thighs more than enough to stir his blood. 

  
  


"I will fill you until I'm empty." The wild god assured softly, fingers dragging through her hair. "Until I am entirely spent. Over and over until your hunger is satisfied."

  
  


"You sure do make a lot of nice promises." She replied faintly, arching her back. 

  
  


"I'm going to _breed_ you, love." He warned. 

  
  


"I certainly hope so?"

  
  


"Excellen'." Drew unzipped his jeans and freed his cock, loving the way she shivered. "To business. You remember what ye say if y' need me to stop?"

  
  


"Y-Yeah, yeah, tent." Lyssa nodded.

  
  


"Very good." Drew slid his cock along her entrance, the heat of her taking his breath away. She was already soaked, ready for him, and he permitted himself a momentary loss of self control. Drew kicked her legs a little further apart, roughly shoved his hands up underneath her shirt to cup her breasts, and then sheathed himself in one steady motion.

  
  


Lyssa panted out his name as he started to move, the wild god feeling her worship wash over him. It had never been like this before. There was always the catch, the desire to be granted something in exchange for their meager adoration. But here, now, in the sanctuary of the wilderness, Lyssa gave freely of herself to him out of sheer faith that he would be able to fulfill her.

  
  


It was intoxicating, heady and rich like his first breath of mountain air atop Sgùrr Alasdair. Drew inhaled sharply and proceeded with his task. He had promised to breed her, and so he would. 

  
  


"Lys," he murmured as he sank onto his haunches and took her with him, settling her into his lap more firmly. "I will need you as close to me as possible, love. Don't want to waste a drop."

  
  


Lyssa barely managed another nod as his hand wrapped around her throat to hold her steady, her own hands grasping hungrily at his still-clothed thighs. Drew rocked his hips up against her, jolting her entire body with every thrust. His other hand yanked her shirt up over her breasts, baring her to the world. He was _enjoying_ this, he realized dimly, this salacious act stoking something long dead in him back to life. 

  
  


His first orgasm struck at the same moment as hers, Actaeon grinning fiercely at the way she arched and crooned to him. But he ached for more. She had asked to be bred and Drew would oblige.

  
  


"I want you to grind against me until I paint your insides again." Drew snarled, his shoulders taut. "We will sire demigods, lovely and terrible as the sun."

  
  


"You say such nice _things_ it's not even fair-" Lyssa protested, making him laugh breathlessly. His release trickled down his shaft, further slicking her needy body. Lyssa's moaning rang in his ears and Drew bit down softly on her shoulder, laving the spot with his tongue afterwards. 

  
  


He would give her _exactly_ what she had asked for. Until he was spent. Until he gave out. In the face of such freely-given worship, what else could he offer?

  
  


...

  
  


_The dream bled in slowly, firelight the first thing she noticed..._

  
  


"Lady Lyssa?" The voice of Sir Drew roused Lyssa from her musings and she looked up from the fire. The large knight was studying her, his curiosity bordering on impertinence. "Pardon me, Lady Lyssa, but yer hem is smoking."

  
  


Lyssa squeaked and frantically floundered back a pace from the small fire. Digging her fingers into the dirt beside her, she smudged out the lazily-smoldering lace on her skirt's hemline. "Thank you, Sir Drew." She sighed sadly, holding the now-ruined lace up to the light of the fire. "Just one more thing I've lost, I suppose."

  
  


Drew bowed. "I am n' longer a knight in your father's employ, m'lady. I have nae such title." His rich brogue washed over her, giving her the peculiar feeling of being warmed from the inside out. 

  
  


"You're leagues more of a knight than that scum my father was willing to sell me off to." Lyssa huffed in aggravation, hugging herself for warmth. "You're still Sir Drew to _me_."

  
  


"Your kindness is, as always, a beacon of light in dark times." 

  
  


"I'm not being kind, I'm being honest." She muttered. 

  
  


Drew fidgeted with the penannular brooch on his shoulder, sliding the ring to loose the needle and unwrap the thick folds of his tartan. In a few moments, the heavy woolen garment was draped over Lyssa like a shawl. "There's no need for you to be close 'noigh to the fire that y' hem is burnin'." He said gruffly, now clad more plainly in his armor alone. "I can't have you catchin' your death."

  
  


Lyssa buried her nose in the tartan, the durable fabric worn soft in patches from years of use. "Thank you, Sir Drew."

  
  


"I am sworn to keep y' safe to the best of my ability, Lady Lyssa." He puttered around the fire, snapping a few branches over his knee to feed the small blaze. "The chill from the moors can get into a man's bones. God-fearing country it might be, but I wager that there may be older gods roamin' these lands at night." Drew mused quietly, almost as if he was talking to himself.

  
  


Lyssa pursed her lips and clutched the tartan a little tighter. 

  
  


Drew seemed to notice her discomfort, turning to offer her a quick grin. "Afeared of the dark, m'lady?" 

  
  


"Not _of_ the dark, but what's in it. And you saying unsettling things like that is _hardly_ helping." 

  
  


"You've naught to worry about while I'm here, Lady Lyssa. I'm _much_ more fearsome than whatever ye could think up." The knight assured her, his eyes unnaturally blue even in the golden light of the fire. 

  
  


Far off, a wild creature howled. Lyssa tried not to jump, she really did, but there was no hiding her flinch.

  
  


"It's just a wolf, Lady Lyssa. They'll stay away from the fire." Drew soothed, one large gauntlet hovering above her shoulder. She found herself wishing that just _once_ , the knight would drop his polished veneer and hold her.

  
  


"I'm sorry, Sir Drew. It has been...these are trying times. I don't mean to be so fragile." Lyssa mumbled, shame catching her words in her throat.

  
  


"It is nae easy feat t' leave hearth and home behind. There is no need t' apologize." Drew assured her. "I only hope we can get y' safely t' the coast."

  
  


"I have no doubt of that with you at my side, Sir Drew." 

  
  


"I must confess, I am a bit concerned about what y' father and betrothed will do to me once yer safely away, m'lady." Drew placed his hand over his heart. "But my own fears are naught in the face of yer peril, and so they will be laid to rest in as timely a manner as I can manage when yer safe." 

  
  


" _Drew_ , do not say such terrible things!" Lyssa protested. "As if you would not be accompanying me!"

  
  


"Yer father took me in when I was but a lost stripling wanderin' the moors, Lady Lyssa. He gave me a purpose, a goal. I cannae easily forget that." Drew murmured. "Not even for you."

  
  


Dismay gripped Lyssa's throat like an iron claw. "Surely after all these years of faithful service, you've earned a moment of selfishness?" She felt at that moment as if she would have made a deal with the Devil himself to keep her devoted knight by her side.

  
  


"Aye, true enough that might be." The blue-eyed man allowed, a rueful smile touching his mouth. "But one often leads to another, as the sayin' goes. I'm loathe t' leave ye all the same."

  
  


"Is what I want not part of _your_ plans either, Drew?"

  
  


"Lady-"

  
  


"It's bad enough to be treated as if I am being unreasonable for not wishing to be auctioned off with the summer home as an attractive _virginal_ decor piece, but to have _you_ spouting such ridiculous platitudes is-!" Lyssa sputtered furiously, her words failing her in her rage. Drew merely sat there in silence while she stomped her feet. "It's _outrageous_ to assume that I could get far on my own. I've barely ventured off the estate since my father acquired his lairdship."

  
  


"Are y' sayin' ye would go willingly to that mon, trot yerself off t' market?" Drew challenged, "If I wasnae here, ye'd lay down for some elderly laird to further yer sire's plans?"

  
  


" _Never_." Lyssa barely suppressed a horrified shudder at the notion of sharing her wedding bed with the repulsive man her father had chosen for her. Drew's blunt, honest way of speaking had her all flushed in the face. "I don't know what I would have done. Perhaps I would have died." 

  
  


An ugly oath left Drew's lips at her flippant words, the large man muttering an apology for his rough language. "'Fraid I'm showin' my hand a bit, Lady Lyssa. Y' shouldnae say such turrible things." 

  
  


"Would you miss me, Sir Drew?" She teased, the laughter leaving her tone when she saw the way he was looking at her. 

  
  


"Like the moon misses the moors, Lady Lyssa." Drew had never been one to use flowery terms, so this unexpected foray into almost _poetic_ territory left her a bit breathless. 

  
  


Lyssa clutched the tartan, _his_ tartan, even closer. "It is rude to jest so, Sir Drew."

  
  


"I am not a jesting mon, Lady Lyssa." Drew's eyes had softened. Normally they were sharp and calculating; the knight took his duties very seriously and it was rare to see him at ease. Not that he was particularly lax at this moment. His sword was still belted to his hip, though he _had_ left his claymore on the ground beside the fire.

  
  


"I know. I am grateful for that, Sir Drew." 

  
  


He leaned in closer, improperly close, and yet she felt no need to scold him. He often wore his long brown hair braided while he rode to keep it from impeding his vision, but a few enchanting strands had managed to work themselves free during their hurried flight from her father's estate. They gave him an air of dangerous sensuality, the unfamiliar sight of him even slightly unkempt enough to send Lyssa's imagination running wild. 

  
  


"I would miss you more than I can articulate." Drew sounded sincere, his voice dipping slightly. "The idea of...the idea of you sufferin' under someone y' do not love and didnae even _choose_ , it is." He paused, obviously searching for the right word. "Intolerable." His burr rolled the word thick, sending an indulgent shiver down Lyssa's spine. "I am naught but a lowly mon who's broken his vows of service t' yer household, Lady Lyssa. But I swear on my life that you shall be free as a bird from this," He gestured vaguely, " _nightmare_ y' been trapped in."

  
  


Lyssa rested against his shoulder, the firm press of his armor cool on her burning cheek. "Sir Drew, you are no longer in service to my father. You agree, yes?"

  
  


"Aye. Much as it pains me, I've betrayed my master." Drew sighed. 

  
  


"And I am fleeing from my title, my lands, everything I once held dear, yes?" Lyssa's grip on the plaid whitened her knuckles. Drew's reply was a slow nod, the knight's brow furrowed in confusion. "I would very much like to do something then. As one soul to another, without the concerns of titles or birthrights getting in the way." Quickly, Lyssa leaned upwards and pressed her lips to his slack mouth. 

  
  


Drew started, grabbing her arm to prevent her from retreating after her unwisely bold choice. Lyssa was certain her cheeks were even rosier than before, squirming under the intensity of the look he was giving her. "Y' can flee from yer title an' lands, but I willnae let ye flee from me." Drew murmured finally, cupping her face. "Why would ye torment me so, Lady Lyssa?"

  
  


"Just Lyssa, my dear Drew." Lyssa took a deep breath, "I can think of no other way to convince you to stay with me. I have no dowry now, no land, no-" Drew kissed her roughly, the fondness in his expression when he pulled back catching Lyssa even more off guard than the kiss. "Drew, I…" She swallowed hard, nerves twisting her words into a tight little ball. 

  
  


"The kiss wasnae t' yer likin'?"

  
  


"No! No no, the kiss was perfect. I'm all out of sorts." Lyssa confessed, "I had not realized that you, er, reciprocated my feelings. That should make what I'm about to ask of you a little simpler, but…oh dear, I had _not_ thought out how I would do this."

  
  


"I will do my best t' aid ye however y' need, my lovely Lyssa." Drew replied firmly.

  
  


"I'm certain you will, and from what I've heard this is not a particularly _unpleasant_ task. F-For someone like you, anyway!" Lyssa felt like she was drowning. "Drew, I would implore you to grant me this one request. I will never ask for another thing as long as I live."

  
  


"Speak your mind, Lyssa. Whatever this request is, I'm certain I can fulfill it." 

  
  


"I need you to deflower me." Lyssa blurted out in a rush, then buried her burning face in the tartan spread across her lap. "If that... _issue_ is removed, I'll be of no real use to my father and he may let us continue in peace." She soldiered on, her words muffled by the fabric. 

  
  


Drew made a sound in his throat that was distinctly foreign. "I...dinnae think I heard ye right. Did you say-"

  
  


"Oh, _don't_ make me say it again!" Lyssa begged, thoroughly humiliated. "This is all so embarrassing, Drew, _please-_ " 

  
  


The tartan was tugged from her unwilling grasp, Drew's heavy gauntlets somehow deft enough to fold the sturdy fabric. "Many's the night I thought of such things, Lys. 'Tis nae shame in it." He assured her, a teasing smile on his mouth. 

  
  


"Maybe not for _you_." Lyssa retorted. One of the aforementioned heavy gauntlets tucked beneath her chin, tugging her eyes up to meet his own. 

  
  


"I am deadly serious, Lyssa."

  
  


"Yes, well, so am I." The young woman huffed, feeling thoroughly foolish and exposed without the warm drape of his plaid to shield her. 

  
  


"I hate that y' come to me with this request out of necessity. I had hoped…" Drew trailed off, shaking his head. "I suppose it doesnae matter now. I will serve ye in this manner as well, my love."

  
  


" _Love?_ Drew, this i-is a matter of...you don't have to--I assure you I don't need to be _coddled-_ "

  
  


"Hush, Lys. I _want_ to." He murmured. 

  
  


His enthusiasm was evident in the way that he swept her up into his arms and carried her to their humble shelter, in the way that he didn't seem able to stop kissing her. The large man appeared to get himself out of his armor by swearing alone, his mumbled apologies doing _wonders_ for Lyssa's nerves as he fought with the various buckles and latches. 

  
  


She couldn't help but get caught up in it all, hungry for the new sensations he graced her with after he abandoned removing his greaves in favor of _other_ activities. Drew was, of course, _miles_ more experienced than her, his rough touch equal parts soothing and maddening.

  
  


Lyssa had been warned about the pain by well-meaning housemaids, unable to keep from cringing when Drew finally settled in between her legs. "I...Drew, please just…" She struggled to get the words out, making him pause.

  
  


"Shall I stop, Lys?"

  
  


" _No_ , no. I have to do it. I just know it will hurt." 

  
  


"You could lie to yer father, if ye are truly afeared of this. I willnae do anythin' without y' wishes." Drew assured her, smoothing her hair away from her face. "I won't tell a soul about what has already happened."

  
  


"We _must_ do it." She insisted, frowning fiercely. Her hands clenched into fists on the sheepskin beneath her. "I am prepared, Sir Drew."

  
  


"I would give my damned _life_ to have our first time together be out of newlywed affection, Lys. It wounds me than I cannae give y' any better than this." Drew sounded distraught about the whole thing, and that was enough to get Lyssa's undivided attention. 

  
  


"You...want to marry me?" She asked softly.

  
  


" _Christ_ woman, I don't know how much more plain I can be." Drew shook his head, smiling sadly. "I would marry ye in a heartbeat. Tis' bittersweet, this act, stealin' away what I would have wanted y' to give to me willingly."

  
  


Lyssa sought a kiss which Drew gladly delivered, the young woman whimpering into his mouth. "I will be brave for you, Sir Drew." She gasped, wrapping her arms around his neck. "I leave myself in your care."

  
  


Drew returned her embrace, sliding one hand beneath her body to cradle her against his chest. Lyssa felt him prodding at her entrance and she turned her head away, too scared to watch. He was patient though, gently coaxing her to ease into the motion of it so that when he did finally breach her, it was as if he was coming home. " _Gods_ , Lyssa." He choked, shifting his hips to settle himself. 

  
  


Lyssa felt hot all over her body, the pain melting into pleasure that seared her core and left her panting for breath. She was wet enough that her slick ran down her thighs, coating Drew's groin with her arousal. The knight groaned. "Is it alright?" Lyssa asked shyly, her fingers toying with the hair at the nape of his neck. In reply, Drew exhaled an oath and she felt him tense.

  
  


"Perfection, Lys. You are Gods-given _perfection_." He said hoarsely.

  
  


The distant sound of an approaching horse was what roused the two from their post-coital drowse. Lyssa was unsure if she had truly been sleeping, or simply lazing beside the large man. The contentment leaked away, leaving her cold and wishing wistfully for more _time_. 

  
  


She rolled onto her stomach, stretching. Drew kissed her forehead and then draped his tartan around himself, securing it with his brooch at the shoulder. He had never actually removed his greaves; they rattled slightly when he stood. "Stay here, my love." His smile was tight.

  
  


The instant he left the tent Lyssa was hurrying to redress herself. A terrible feeling came over her, almost as if she was having a premonition. Fear and despair waged war in her heart while the galloping hoofbeats grew ever closer. 

  
  


" _Ho there, Drew of McIntyre!_ " 

  
  


Lyssa squeezed her eyes shut in dismay. That voice belonged to the son of the laird she had been promised to. The flaxen-haired man was not an overly intelligent individual, as made abundantly evident by his lonely arrival. 

  
  


"Greetings to ye, Dolph." Lyssa was immensely jealous of how calm Drew sounded; _why_ had she not insisted that he gird himself properly in all of his armor? "What brings ye to my humble hamlet?"

  
  


"You can drop the act, you shameless Scot." Dolph announced pompously. "The very _notion_ that you thought you could get away with this-"

  
  


"I'm afraid I've no idea what yer on about, Dolph." 

  
  


"My father's betrothed! The audacity of you, stealing the poor girl away in the night like you're a damned highwayman." Lyssa lifted up the rear of the tent and slunk out, risking a peek around the corner. Dolph had dismounted to thump a finger into the center of Drew's broad chest, the blond looking disheveled and annoyed. "You must return her at once, or I'll-"

  
  


"Aye? You'll _what_." Drew growled. 

  
  


Dolph squinted suspiciously up at the taller man. "Drew, I see no reason for you to be so _heinously_ uncooperative. Unless…" The blond trailed off. "Oh. Oh _ho_ , McIntyre! It's to be like _that_ , is it?!" He yelled, his hand flying to the guard of his rapier. "Your crimes will be punished tenfold, _baseborn_ , if you do not produce Lady Lyssa!"

  
  


"Ye would attack an unarmed mon, Dolph? I knew ye were a coward, but this is a bit too rich for me." 

  
  


"Pick up your blade then, you cur!"

  
  


Lyssa inched backwards to the small copse of birch trees where their horses had been secured, her hands shaking nearly too hard to untie her mount. The gentle mare nudged her sleepily, nosing at her dress' pockets for a treat. Lyssa pressed her forehead to the animal's side, inhaling deeply in an attempt to calm her frantic heartbeat. _It will be fine_.

  
  


The ringing of steel on steel and a scream of outrage from Dolph shattered her attempt, the young woman wheeling to face the campsite. 

  
  


Drew and Dolph were trading blows beside the fire, their swords gleaming in the hellish light. "Drew!" Lyssa cried before she could think better of it, covering her mouth a second too late. 

  
  


The larger man glanced towards her, distracted, and Dolph seized the opening. The blade of his sword pierced the unarmored man's chest and stabbed deep. The two men froze, Drew staring at Lyssa and Dolph staring at his sword as though he couldn't believe what he had just done. 

  
  


"I…" Dolph began warily, jerking his rapier free and taking a step back. The blade was brilliantly red. Drew collapsed to his knees, dropping his own sword to press the folds of his now-ruined plaid against the mortal wound. Dolph's face hardened and he readied his blade once more.

  
  


Lyssa bolted forward at the blond man, not entirely certain what she was about to do. She had no weapons of her own. All she had was her body. "No!" She screamed, flinging herself between Dolph's sword and Drew's hunched form.

  
  


The pain was real, _tangible_ , no dream. It stole the very breath from her chest. Yet she clung to Drew even as Dolph's blade slid home between her ribs.

  
  


"Lady Lyssa…" Drew whispered, a shaking hand coming up to tenderly cup her face and wipe away her tears. "Dinnae fret, my love. We will meet again." His other hand grasped in the disturbed dirt around the dying campfire, landing on the pommel of his faithful claymore. "I swear it."

  
  


He gripped her tightly and with a roar of exertion, he swung the large blade one-handed. All Lyssa could recall was his eyes, fearsome and brilliant in the dark of death that enveloped her. 

  
  


_God-fearing country it might be, but I wager that there may be older gods roaming these lands at night..._

  
  


…

  
  


Lyssa jerked awake, uncertain of her surroundings. For one terrifying moment her dream seemed like reality, the tent overhead the tent that she and her knight had-

  
  


"Drew?" She called, fumbling out of her sleeping bag. " _Drew?_ " He wasn't in the tent beside her. Lyssa rushed to pull on her socks and boots, half-frantic now. 

  
  


She poked her head out of the tent, squinting in the pastel blue light of dawn. The forest was lively around the tent, birds having their morning chatter. Drew's boots were missing from the shelter, as well as his towel and grooming kit. Perhaps…

  
  


Lyssa struggled upright, flushing a little at how difficult it was to just _move_. Delicious memories warmed her from the inside out, stirring her blood. She felt almost guilty, giddy and still panicky at Drew's absence. 

  
  


It turned out she hadn't needed to worry. Drew was perched on a smooth rock beside the river, tiny travel mirror in one hand while he carefully shaved. A small turtle had taken up residence on the rock as well, basking comfortably in the first warm rays of sunlight. 

  
  


"...and I said that of course, of _course_ I'm goin' to have an issue with him litterin', it draws the bears in. And do ye know what that fuck said t' me?" Drew paused, like he was waiting for a response. "Nae, he said ' _why should I care, I'm here for a day hike and bears only come out at night_ '. Truly, the mon wanted to die." The large man sighed, another sure stroke of the razor ridding his neck of stubble. "So then-" 

  
  


"You two enjoying your conversation?" Lyssa teased, deja vu striking her hard when Drew turned to give her a quick smile. It was as if she had done this all before, but how could that even be possible?

  
  


"Ah, I see I'll have to work harder next time. Ye can still walk!" Drew jibed, making her blush hard.

  
  


"I had the _weirdest_ dream, then I woke up and you weren't there."

  
  


"Oh? Do tell, love. I'm not quite done here anyway."

  
  


Lyssa settled onto the riverbank alongside the rock, pulling off her boots and dipping her feet into the chilly water. She didn't speak for several minutes, just listening to the river and the quiet scrape of Drew's razor on his throat. "I dreamed that we were in Scotland."

  
  


The razor noise stopped abruptly. 

  
  


" _Old_ Scotland, though, not like modern day. You were a knight and I was some sort of nobility. I guess...I _think_ I'd been promised to an older guy? Like an older guy wanted to marry me and you were helping me run away because I didn't want to marry him." Lyssa hugged herself, pointedly staring down at the water in an attempt to avoid the look she was sure Drew was giving her. "It was so real, less like a dream and more like a memory. I could _feel_ it, how scared and uncertain I was, as though I had really gone through that experience."

  
  


"You dreamed of Scotland?" Drew's chuckle sounded strange, forced. "Dinnae realize I had that effect on folk."

  
  


"I don't think I've ever even seen a _picture_ of Scotland, but somehow I know that's where it was. I'd bet on it, I'm _that_ sure." Lyssa insisted, still staring at the water.

  
  


The large man cleared his throat after a minute and moved to splash some water onto his face. Lyssa noticed that he had nicked himself while shaving, the blood blotting his neck. Drew didn't seem particularly concerned about it though, scrubbing roughly at his face to rid himself of any leftover residue. "In your dream, was I still Drew?" The question was posed casually, like he was asking whether she had seen his keys or phone.

  
  


Lyssa smiled, feeling oddly wistful. "You were, one hundred percent."

  
  


Drew's shoulders relaxed slightly, the planes of his back becoming less pronounced. "Good."

  
  


…

  
  


_McIntyre_.

  
  


Lyssa's heart sank at the list of pages that came up just by searching that one name. Motto _Per Ardua_ , dominion over Glencoe, Hebrides, a clan that kept to itself for a majority of history...maybe she would have better luck researching their tartan. _Something_ to confirm her suspicions.

  
  


However, the very first image had her staring wide-eyed at the screen. There it was, plain as day, a background of forest green and navy shot through with bands of red and white. She remembered the rough and worn patches of it, the way the white bands were more prone to snags than the red. How could she have _known_ that was their plaid?

  
  


She reached for her phone, but then paused. Drew had been strangely standoffish since they had returned from their camping trip, still eager to engage sexually but not so much in conversation. If anything, it was almost as if he was sexually frustrated. Lyssa felt weird about the whole scenario, flattered by the attention but unable to forget that incredibly realistic dream…

  
  


Speak of the devil, her phone vibrated. 

  
  


- _I know this is tactless of me, but there's rumors of a spot opening up at HHH. Still looking to jump ship from your current endeavor?_

  
  


Lyssa laughed aloud, picking up her phone and typing out a reply.

  
  


- _Gods you're mean. I miss you too_.

  
  


- _im serious Lys._

  
  


She raised an eyebrow at the missed capitalization. Normally Drew was fastidious about his texting. 

  
  


- _I think you'd do well in this position. When can I see you again?_

  
  


- _Why? Is it because you liiiiiiiiike me? Do you miiiiiiiiss me?_

  
  


- _I thought THAT was fucking obvious_.

  
  


…

  
  


" _Dolph!_ " Drew roared, his hands around the reveler's neck before he had finished saying his name.

  
  


Dolph squawked, eyes bulging slightly. "What?! What did I do?"

  
  


"You _killed_ her, that's what you did!" Drew snarled. "Ye _miserable_ , low-lyin' _scum!_ " His blood was boiling, brogue tar-thick in his mouth. He was certain he must sound like a raving lunatic.

  
  


"Drew, _please_." Alicia said quietly, touching his shoulder. "I didn't explain things so you could fly off the handle-"

  
  


"Trust me, _love_ , this ent flyin' off the handle." The large man seethed, "you _prick_ . You _prick!_ " 

  
  


"I'm still very confused-" Dionysus managed to say.

  
  


"Actaeon, he wouldn't remember _either_. Both of you had been tossed for some crap you pulled. You were just acting out your mortal roles, it's no one's fault."

  
  


"He's about to shuffle me off the mortal _coil-!_ " The blond squeaked, thrashing in Drew's iron grasp. "Aphrodite _do something!_ "

  
  


"What the _hell_ are you idiots doing?" Hunter asked incredulously as he emerged from his office. "Can you two stop _fucking_ with each other for five minutes?" 

  
  


"I am about to make an opening in this company's ranks. We could use a new social media director." Drew replied curtly, as though he wasn't choking the current social media director to death.

  
  


"Not like that, you're not!" Hades snapped. "We have _interviews_ , paperwork. That kind of shit. We play by _their_ rules, Wild God, otherwise we get pantheon gaps and that crap ends well for no one."

  
  


"I resign--!" Dolph gasped, waving his hands in the air. 

  
  


At those words, Drew slacked his hold slightly. "Swear it on yer soul." He demanded. 

  
  


"Yes, absolutely, whatever you want." The blond wheezed. "I'll fill out the forms Hunter, I don't care, just get me the hell away from him!"

  
  


Hades sighed, rubbing his temples. " _Dare_ I ask who you have in mind for the position, Actaeon?"

  
  


Drew's grin in reply was slow to come, his dimples displayed prominently for a brief moment. "Oh, ne'er ye worry. You'll meet her soon enough."

  
  


…

  
  


“You've got some explaining to do, McIntyre.” Lyssa said firmly, her hands on her hips. Her cat undermined her authority thoroughly by winding around Drew's ankles, purring loudly. “Why am I having Renaissance faire dreams, _accurate_ ones?” _Your family plaid, the moors..._ She bit her tongue and waited impatiently for his answer.

  
  


“Would that I _could_ explain, Lys.” Drew looked pained, “I doubt that ye would even accept the explanation if I gave it.”

  
  


“If I'm going to be working at the same company as you-”

  
  


“Ah, ye. See, I'm not the only one there with a little... _oddness_ about them, love. I'd warn ye not to pry, but I know that's a damn lost cause.” Drew rested his hands on her shoulders, blue eyes searching her own. “All I ask is that ye are careful. Old...older...er, _people_ work with us.”

  
  


“Just like the old gods that wandered the moors at night?” Lyssa challenged. Drew closed his eyes, pinching the bridge of his nose in an exasperated gesture. “How long are you planning on lying to me, McIntyre?”

  
  


“ _Christ_ woman, I'm not lookin' to get ye killed again!” Drew snapped, then swore under his breath. “ _Look_.” He finally said fiercely, “You died in my arms once. You gave me _everythin'_ you had, down to lettin' me thieve yer fuckin' innocence away on a filthy sheepskin. I was supposed to keep you _safe_. Instead, we bled out together, 'twined in plaid and cinders.” Drew pressed his forehead to hers. “I _can't_ do that again. Please...don't make me.” He begged, his voice cracking.

  
  


Lyssa sighed, folding her arms but not pulling away. “Am I going to regret taking this position, Drew?” When he hesitated, she puffed out a breath. “Okay, _fine_. At least answer this: are you planning on telling me what's going on?”

  
  


“Gods, Lys, you have no idea how much I want to.”

  
  


She patted his elbow, then pulled away. “Great! I'll make us some tea and start to fill out that transfer paperwork. In the meantime, _you_ can get started with that explanation you owe me.”

  
  


“Now wait a minute,” Drew began to protest, catching her hand before she left the living room. “Lys, ye know I cannae-”

  
  


Lyssa tapped his nose, barely stifling her laugh at how his eyes crossed momentarily to track her finger. “You can, and more importantly, _you will_.” She gave him a peck on his slack mouth and then slipped free of his hold to head for the kitchen. “Love you!” She sang.

  
  


...

  
  


After she left the room, Drew touched his lips, the dark-haired man still a little bewildered at the abrupt turn the day's events had taken. “I...I love ye too, Lys.” He said softly, probably too softly for her to hear.

  
  


It was better that way. Less complicated. Yet as she pored over the forms he had brought and attempted to pry scraps of information from him, Drew couldn't help but feel at peace. Brittle, fragile, intoxicating in its novelty, her trust in him stole his breath and her questions kept coming.

  
  


He would tell her the truth in its entirety someday. For now, however, he would let her spin whatever wild ideas she wished. It was better that way, after all. Mortals were so short-lived, and it was better to take his happiness where he could find it.


End file.
